[newtonuk]

Is Apple Remote Desktop the only solution for assisting Mac Users remotely?

I have recently upgraded to a Mac from a Windows PC and have convinced a family member to do the same.

However, I find that unlike Windows XP I am unable to connect to her machine remotely to help her through some of the new things that she is experiencing with her iMac.

I have a broadband connection and the remote machine is on dial up. Both are connected to the internet through the same ISP.

Please don't tell me that I have to spend £300 to be able to do something that I was doing with XP for free.

[Millennium]

There are free programs for OSX (and just about every other platform out there) which let you do this, using a protocol called VNC. The most popular VNC server for the Mac is OSXvnc; install this on your family member's machine. Then use a VNC client (the most popular Mac client is Chicken of the VNC) on your machine to connect to it.

[JHromadka]

You don't even need VNC Server anymore; it's built into OS X now. Going into System Prefs, Sharing and in Apple Remote Desktop there is a VNC option now.

[Millennium]

Originally Posted by JHromadka

You don't even need VNC Server anymore; it's built into OS X now. Going into System Prefs, Sharing and in Apple Remote Desktop there is a VNC option now.

I wasn't aware of that. Cool!

[DarwinX]

This discussion may or may not help: http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?t=260805

[newtonuk]

Originally Posted by JHromadka

You don't even need VNC Server anymore; it's built into OS X now. Going into System Prefs, Sharing and in Apple Remote Desktop there is a VNC option now.

So in theory, I can connect to any Mac that has this option activated, with any VNC Client software?

I assumed, maybe incorrectly, that this was purely for the Apple Remote Desktop which is far too expensive for the occasional use.

[CatOne]

Originally Posted by newtonuk

So in theory, I can connect to any Mac that has this option activated, with any VNC Client software?

Yes, so long as it's running ARD 2 or greater. ARD 1.x used a proprietary protocol.

An ARD 2 listener comes with Tiger. The one in Panther is 1.1. You an upgrade the Panther machines, but you need the ARD admin console to do it.

[newtonuk]

Originally Posted by CatOne

Yes, so long as it's running ARD 2 or greater. ARD 1.x used a proprietary protocol.

An ARD 2 listener comes with Tiger. The one in Panther is 1.1. You an upgrade the Panther machines, but you need the ARD admin console to do it.

So I refer back to my original post...

Originally Posted by newtonuk

Is Apple Remote Desktop the only solution for assisting Mac Users remotely?

I have recently upgraded to a Mac from a Windows PC and have convinced a family member to do the same.

However, I find that unlike Windows XP I am unable to connect to her machine remotely to help her through some of the new things that she is experiencing with her iMac.

I have a broadband connection and the remote machine is on dial up. Both are connected to the internet through the same ISP.

Please don't tell me that I have to spend £300 to be able to do something that I was doing with XP for free.

[smeger]

newtonui, as Millenium stated, you can also use OSXvnc as the server, rather than ARD. Either will work fine. OSXVnc is free. ARD Client (which is what you need and which, confusingly, is the one that includes the VNC server) is also free, but you need a particular version, and I don't know if it's a free solution for all OS versions or not.

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by smeger

newtonui, as Millenium stated, you can also use OSXvnc as the server, rather than ARD. Either will work fine. OSXVnc is free. ARD Client (which is what you need and which, confusingly, is the one that includes the VNC server) is also free, but you need a particular version, and I don't know if it's a free solution for all OS versions or not.

It comes with Tiger, and is available for free for Panther - you can download it from Apple's site.